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Earlier this spring, Danny Gokey released his single “Only For a Moment,” and he's now opening up about the story behind the song.
"When I was younger, I kept a secret buried deep within me that I hid from everybody, even my parents. It was something I planned on telling no one," said Gokey in a post on social media. "In my young adolescent mind, I had already convinced myself that God rejected me because of it, so I tried harder to keep it hidden because I couldn't bear the thought of any more rejection from anyone else."
He said that keeping the secret of what was bothering him affected every area of his life.
"At 20 years old, I finally summoned the courage to tell someone my secret, and I could see they had no idea how to address it, even though they tried their best. I felt so much shame and vowed to never tell another soul."
This caused Gokey to suffer from mental breakdowns because of the weight he carried.
"In my 30s, I had no choice but to tell my secret to my wife and manager," said Gokey. "This began my long journey of healing from the inside out."
Gokey says he lives with a particular type of OCD called scrupulosity, which convinced him that he had committed an unpardonable sin and would spend an eternity in hell.
"It was very vexing from a young age because I always thought God was out to get me," said Gokey. "For example, if my dad told me to wash my hands before eating, I would wash them until they bled and scabbed over, out of fear I wouldn't be clean enough and I'd be sinning and separated from God again. That was only one of the ways this ocd affected me."
Over time, Gokey says God showed him that he truly does work everything together for our good.
"God has called me to give hope to others," said Gokey. "This is why my music is so full of messages of hope, especially "Only For a Moment."
He hopes that by sharing this story, he will be able to help others in their darkest times.
"Your story is most likely different than mine, but the principle is the same. Whatever you're facing today, don't hide it. Expose it because the devil does his best work in the dark and in secret. These moments don't last forever if we confront the lies we believe and allow the truth to set us free."
Gokey is currently preparing to perform at the Elevate Music Festival 2025 on June 21. Following that he will head to Guatemala for the Explo Music Fest 2025.